CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald kicked off his long-planned campaign for governor Wednesday -- another step in the Democrat's fast-moving political career.

For FitzGerald, the former mayor of Lakewood, the choice was between challenging incumbent Republican John Kasich or seeking a second term as the top elected leader of a reshaped county government still in its early stages.

Given the months FitzGerald already has spent networking with party activists in parts of Ohio where he is far less known, there was no suspense when he formalized his decision in a speech at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Cleveland.

The man who was born to run took the stage to "The Rising" by Bruce Springsteen.

"Let's run this race because we run toward challenges, not away from them," said FitzGerald, 44. "Let's run this race because we know that something better is possible. Let's run this race like our heroes ran it in generations past. Let's run this race with great purposes and high ideals. Let's run this race for the poor, the overlooked and the unlistened-to."

FitzGerald, joined by his wife, Shannon, and their four children, characterized Kasich as a politically motivated governor who pursues policy changes and balances budgets at the expense of middle-class Ohioans. He also tried to revive the energy that led to a ballot-box repeal of a GOP-backed effort to limit collective bargaining for public employees.

The Republican Governors Association, which will assist Kasich's re-election bid, cast FitzGerald as a last-resort choice for Democrats. Former Gov. Ted Strickland, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and former Rep. Betty Sutton decided to sit out 2014.

"It's no surprise that many top Democrats took a pass on the governor's race," said Phil Cox, executive director of the GOP governors group. "Gov. Kasich's reforms have created a business-friendly environment that has seen the creation of over 115,000 new jobs and Ohio voters have made it clear they want to continue that success."

Roughly 300 supporters, many of them local political officials and activists, filled the hotel ballroom for FitzGerald's announcement, which he followed with events in Columbus and Cincinnati. And in a sure sign that FitzGerald has arrived as a contender for higher office, he also had a heckler on hand to interrupt him the second he declared his candidacy.

"Are you serious? You need to finish the job you started!" shouted Mariah Crenshaw of Cleveland.

Unfazed, FitzGerald replied calmly: "I think I have."

Crenshaw's concern was expressed by others Wednesday -- particularly by local Republican mayors eager to spoil FitzGerald's big day, but also by a few Democrats who helped draft the charter that created the new county government.

Martin Zanotti, a Democrat and former mayor of Parma Heights, wished FitzGerald "all the best in his future endeavors" but is disappointed the county executive will be campaigning for governor during the remainder of his term.

"I realize that opportunities present themselves to people," said Zanotti, one of the leaders of the 2009 campaign for county reform. "In a perfect world, it wouldn't have affected the first term of our new county executive."

Judy Rawson, the former mayor of Shaker Heights and another Democrat key to the charter effort, praised FitzGerald, who previously worked as an FBI agent in Chicago, for cleaning up a county that had been at the center of a federal corruption investigation. His moves to rid the public payroll of patronage hires loyal to crooked politicians have earned raves. But Rawson said there's more to be done.

"I think they have a lot left to do on inspiring closer regional collaboration and figuring out what the precise role for economic development is for the county," Rawson said. "I have a feeling that his staff is pretty impressive and that they'll move along on that front. The question is: Will a candidate [for governor] take that many risks on the hard issues?"

Others echoed Rawson's judgment that FitzGerald has the county on the right track.

"I don't think the campaign will detract from the work that's been done," said Joe Cimperman, a Democrat and city councilman in Cleveland who worked on the charter campaign. "It's been a phenomenally productive 2 1/2 years."

And the head of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce that has backed county reform and several of Kasich's key initiatives, spoke glowingly of progress made during FitzGerald's tenure as county executive.

"I think we've seen everything and more that we were hoping for in county reform," partnership Chief Executive Joe Roman said. "We have seen a much more efficient county government. We have seen a county that is directing more assets to economic development and that is starting to speak like the whole region -- and I think that's positive."

FitzGerald pledged Wednesday to remain fully engaged as county executive.

"It's a political system," FitzGerald said, "and you always have to balance 'What are my jobs as an elected official?' and 'What are my jobs as a candidate?' Being an elected official comes first, and that's what you have to do, and I will."